Chinese Idiom Stories

The Old Man Under The Moon

Wei Gu, of the T'ang dynasty, took a trip to the city of Sung. In the evening, he came upon an old man leaning against a large cloth bag and reading a big, thick book. He asked the old man what book he was reading, and the old man replied, "This book records marriages. I need only use one of the red ropes in this bag to tie a man's foot to a woman's, and the two are sure to become man and wife." Then the old man stood up and began walking toward the rice market, followed by Wei Gu. The old man pointed to a small girl who was being carried by an old woman, and said, "This is your future wife." Wei Gu grew very angry, wondering how this silly little girl could ever possibly be his wife, and ordered his servant to kill her. But the servant merely made a small cut between the girl's eyebrows.

Fourteen years later, the provincial governor gave his daughter to Wei Gu as a wife. The bride was extremely beautiful, except that she had a scar between her eyebrows. It was said that it had been made fourteen years earlier, when she was passing by the rice market in the city of Sung with her nanny. Upon hearing this, Wei Gu finally believed what the old man had said.

Today, "The Old Man Under the Moon" can refer to anyone who acts as matchmaker between a man and a woman.

月下老人

唐朝時候,有一為名叫韋固的人,有一次,他到宋城去旅行,住宿在南店裡。

一天晚上,韋固在街上閑逛,看到月光之下有一各老人席地而坐,正在那裡翻一本又大又厚的書,而他身編則放著一個裝滿了紅色繩子的大布袋。

韋固很好奇的過去問他說:“老伯伯,請問你在看什麼書呀!”

那老人回答說:“這是一本記載天下男女婚姻的書。”

韋固聽了以後更加好奇,就再問說:“那你袋子裡的紅繩子,又是做什麼用的呢?”

老人微笑著對韋固說:“這些紅繩是用來系夫妻的腳的,不管男女雙方式仇人或距離很遠,我只要用這些紅繩系在他們的腳上,他們就一定會和好,並且結成夫妻。”

韋固聽了,自然不會相信,以為老人是和他說著玩的,但是他對這古怪的老人,仍舊充滿了好奇,當他想要在問他一些問題的時候,老人已經站起來,帶著他的書和袋子,向米市走去,韋固也就跟著他走。

到了米市,他們看見一個盲婦抱著一個三歲左右的小女孩迎面走過來,老人便對韋固說:“這盲婦手裡抱的小女孩便是你將來的妻子。”

韋固聽了很生氣,以為老人故意開他玩笑,便叫佳奴去把那小女孩殺掉,看他將來還會不會成為自己的妻子。

家奴跑上前去,刺了女孩一刀以後,就立刻跑了。當韋固在要去找那老人算帳時,卻已經不見他的蹤影了。

光陰似箭,轉眼十四年過去了,這時韋固以找到意中人,即將結婚。對方是相州刺史王泰的掌上明珠,人長得很漂亮,只是眉間有一道疤痕。韋固覺得非常奇怪,於是便問他的岳父說:“為什麼他的眉角間有疤痕呢?”

相州刺史聽了以後便說:“說來令人氣憤,十四年前在宋城,有一天保母陳氏抱著他從米市走過,有一個狂徒,竟然無緣無故的刺了她一刀,幸好沒有生命危險,只留下這道傷疤,真是不幸中的大幸呢!”

韋固聽了,愣了一下,十四年前的那段往事迅速的浮現在他的腦海裡。他想:難道他就是自己命僕人刺殺的小女孩?於是便很緊張的追問說:“那保母是不是一個失明的盲婦?”

王泰看到女婿的臉色有意,且問得蹊蹺,便反問他說:“不錯,是個盲婦,可是,你怎麼會知道呢?”

韋固證實了這各式時候,真是驚訝極了,一時間答不出話來,過了好一會兒才平靜下來,然後把十四年前在宋城,遇到月下老人的是,全盤說出。

王泰聽了,也感到驚訝不已。

韋固這才明白月下老人的話,並非開玩笑,他們的姻緣真的是由神作主的。

因此夫婦兩更加珍惜這段婚姻,過著恩愛的生活。

不久這件事傳到宋城,當地的人為了紀念月下老人的出現,便把南店改為“訂婚店”。

由於這個故事的流傳,使得大家相信:男女結合是由月下老人系紅繩,加以撮合的,所以,後人就把媒人叫做“月下老人”,簡稱為“月老”。


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